Being Brave And Ready When It Counts

Students gather to worship and pray for Ukraine | Photo courtesy of The King’s College

Last February, my world was folding in on top of me. 

“How—what should I do now?” I can barely squeeze the words out of my raspy throat.

On the other end of the phone, my dad replied: “Be brave. God has put you where you are for a reason. Just keep calm and carry on.” 

That was the day the Russian army invaded the eastern Ukrainian city where my grandparents lived. My grandparents are now safely in western Ukraine with my parents, but last February, I wasn’t sure if I would ever see them again. 

Living with the notion that the people I love are in constant danger of being attacked while trying to keep up with college schoolwork was far from easy and still is sometimes. 

But this article isn’t about me, Ukraine or any national-level catastrophe.  Instead, it's about the unrest happening at The King’s College right now and how we should respond.

Recently my friends from King’s and I had a conversation at church about all the different things happening at the school. We had been chatting for about half an hour before I looked over at our non-Kingsian friend, who listened intently. Then, thinking about what it looked like from her perspective, I realized how empty our talk had been. It was nothing but gossip.

I made a poor attempt at a joke about how one can’t help but gossip sometimes, and her response jarred me. She said that when there is a tough topic that touches multiple people, the conversation often turns, instead, to gossip. Gossip is a way of verbally procrastinating from healthily processing big challenging events. 

Our time would have been much better spent if, instead of empty conversations that do nothing productive at all, we were talking about how we should be responding to the crisis at King’s and what that practically means for us daily. Should we be looking into other college options? Should we be paying more attention to our friends’ mental health? Should we mentally prepare for whatever happens at the end of this semester? Rather than worrying individually and covering it up with meaningless talk, we could have been building each other up and glorifying God in a way that gossip simply can’t. 

Crises like what King’s is facing now reveal who we truly are. This is true for each of us individually and as a singular body of students. It’s easy to be “Good, Brave and Ready” when you are sitting comfortably in a classroom with just your usual college student’s fears and trepidations, but the real cleansing fire comes when your loyalty to your college is tried as ours is now. This should be at the core of college spirit, and not just how many trophies your team brings back to the glass case on the sixth floor. 

This is the crisis point that reveals whether we cherish our school’s values or not.  

I am not saying we should block out all emotions. No, not in the least. You should feel sad, scared and angry. You should feel all of it. These are all valid emotions that the Bible affirms time and time again. But that doesn’t change what actions you should be taking. Bravery is not about “gaslighting” yourself into a positive attitude. It’s not about fake emotions and toxic positivity. It’s about doing what is right. It’s about discovering (and following) our duty.

What does bravery have to do with any of this? If you stand with the college’s mission or at least appreciate what King’s has given you through courses, professors, resources, peers, etc., I believe you would agree that we owe something to the school. What we owe is our gratitude and, even a step further, our “duty.” 

In a culture that focuses on the individual and one's well-being, it is so easy to forget about the larger group. I know I do it all the time. However, we as Christians are called to act in a way that glorifies God, which also means we should think beyond our self-interest. It’s easy to succumb to emotions and not see past one’s self. That’s a balance I have personally tried to strike in light of current issues at school: how do I accept what I am feeling and act upon what is right in God’s eyes? 

I think we should put a lot of effort into acting on our duty to the school. This might mean being very careful about what we say about King’s both to our King’s friends and to outsiders. As my friend commented, it might be a good idea not only to avoid gossiping intentionally but also actively pursue ways to speak constructively about the situation. 

 Ukrainians are an excellent example of the power of unity and bravery. Regardless of what you think is happening in Ukraine, it is evident how unexpectedly powerful Ukraine’s response has been. I’ve seen an immense testimony to the power of a united group of people in how my friends in Ukraine have changed during this last year. Ukrainians knew that it was their duty to stand by their country. And all of them were terrified all the time. Yet despite everything, they were also brave, which the whole world can testify has made an incredible difference in the power of Ukraine’s response. 

Suppose we want the administration of King’s to make the best decisions they can, considering the school’s current circumstances. In that case, they must be confident in the student body’s support—the student body, mind you, as a singular entity. We should also not just support them blindly, but in Christian love in truth.

A response worthy of the school's mission statement might mean we choose not to spread rumors we don’t know are facts. Even when heard from reliable sources, one never knows the full story. Also, decisions change, and a rumor with a trustworthy source that was true at some point might only set false expectations in the long run. 

A wise friend of mine and King’s alumnus reminded me that if we think the administration needs to be braver or have more integrity in how it communicates, we should set an example (1 Tim 4:12). We should not stoop to using their imperfect handling of the situation to justify a poor reaction. Rather, we should ponder how we can encourage them to have more integrity in communicating with us beyond mere words. 

It might be best for us to be intentional about how we speak about our school, current issues and the administration, even if we disagree with many decisions. We should be ready to point out problems to the administration that they have overlooked but constructively and helpfully. Maybe we shouldn’t let our response to this situation be purely emotional, and maybe we shouldn’t let our identities be molded by gossip and emotion. 

I challenge you—and myself— to seek the most God-centered response. Even if our emotions don’t catch up to us until after we have made the right decision, it is our duty as King’s students—and even more importantly as Christians—to do the right thing. 

Being brave doesn’t come easily to anyone, but that’s the point. As a single unit, I challenge us to build the school up and execute our duty in bravery, truth and love. At the end of the day, we must give to God what is God's, to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to King's what is King's.